Regina Barber

You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Hey, Shortwavers, it's Regina Barber. And we're starting today's episode with breakfast. Because regardless of what you had for breakfast today, chances are at least part of it was made by fermentation. Yogurt and granola, fermentation. Eggs with cheese, fermentation. Bread, fermentation. It's even key in coffee.

This is David Zilber, chef, reality TV show host, and former director of the Fermentation Lab at the world-famous Danish restaurant Noma. And he told me, if fermentation wasn't part of my coffee, it wouldn't even be good.

This is David Zilber, chef, reality TV show host, and former director of the Fermentation Lab at the world-famous Danish restaurant Noma. And he told me, if fermentation wasn't part of my coffee, it wouldn't even be good.

This is David Zilber, chef, reality TV show host, and former director of the Fermentation Lab at the world-famous Danish restaurant Noma. And he told me, if fermentation wasn't part of my coffee, it wouldn't even be good.

To make it taste delicious.

To make it taste delicious.

To make it taste delicious.

Okay, I'm convinced. Fermentation is important. But what exactly is it?

Okay, I'm convinced. Fermentation is important. But what exactly is it?

Okay, I'm convinced. Fermentation is important. But what exactly is it?

To me, that transformation kind of sounds like magic, like you're a wizard and you wave your wand and you turn cucumbers into pickles. But David says it's also kind of like being a bouncer at a nightclub.

To me, that transformation kind of sounds like magic, like you're a wizard and you wave your wand and you turn cucumbers into pickles. But David says it's also kind of like being a bouncer at a nightclub.

To me, that transformation kind of sounds like magic, like you're a wizard and you wave your wand and you turn cucumbers into pickles. But David says it's also kind of like being a bouncer at a nightclub.

So today on the show, welcome to the hottest spot around, club fermentation. We're talking microbes, we're talking acids, we're talking sauerkraut, sourdough and sour beer. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. OK, so, David, let's just start with the beginning, your beginning. When was the very first time you fermented anything?

So today on the show, welcome to the hottest spot around, club fermentation. We're talking microbes, we're talking acids, we're talking sauerkraut, sourdough and sour beer. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. OK, so, David, let's just start with the beginning, your beginning. When was the very first time you fermented anything?

So today on the show, welcome to the hottest spot around, club fermentation. We're talking microbes, we're talking acids, we're talking sauerkraut, sourdough and sour beer. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. OK, so, David, let's just start with the beginning, your beginning. When was the very first time you fermented anything?

I love that.

I love that.

I love that.

You're putting those microbes back into the milk that's in your cereal.